Doctors in this Hospital

Alexander Farivar

Eric Vallieres

About the Swedish Medical Center Cancer Institute

Swedish Medical Center is the Seattle area’s largest nonprofit healthcare provider. Swedish includes several hospitals throughout Washington and a total of more than 70 specialty-care and primary-care clinics. The medical center’s Swedish Cancer Institute has been a leader in cancer care since its founding in 1932. It was the first center to treat cancer using radiation therapy, a technique now considered standard. Since then, it has continued to be at the forefront of cancer treatment, leading the way in surgery, chemotherapy and clinical trials. Recently, it has become one of the first northwest medical centers to perform robotic-assisted surgeries.

Treatment at Swedish Cancer Institute

Headed by thoracic surgeon Eric Vallières, M.D., the Lung Cancer Program at Swedish treats patients with lung cancer, esophageal cancer and mesothelioma. The mesothelioma treatment team is one of the best in the region and consists of numerous veteran surgeons and oncologists. The team generally opts to treat mesothelioma patients with a trimodality approach, which uses a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Surgical director Vallières strongly advocates this technique, coauthoring a 2009 study about its benefits in mesothelioma patients.

Surgeon Alexander Farivar, M.D., has handled many of the mesothelioma cases at Swedish in recent years, bringing the skills he first learned in Boston, where he trained under renowned mesothelioma surgeon David Sugarbaker. He is skilled in robotic and minimally invasive surgery, and he has participated in both the aggressive EPP (extrapleural pneumonectomy) and the lung-sparing P/D (pleurectomy/decortication) surgeries for mesothelioma patients.

The mesothelioma treatment team at Swedish emphasizes individualized patient care. Vallières and his fellow doctors dedicate time and thought to each patient’s treatment, making sure every patient receives the best care possible. Several mesothelioma patients have gone on to live for years after receiving treatment at Swedish. They credit their survival to this compassionate, meticulous approach.

Other Services

Swedish also takes pride in treating the whole person rather than just the cancer. That’s why cancer care at Swedish takes on a “mind, body and spirit” approach, offering unique programs to ensure that each patient is as happy and healthy as possible.

Cancer education classes to help patients and their families better understand the disease and its treatments

Cancer rehabilitation to help patients maintain or regain strength and energy

Individual and family counseling services to aid in accepting and coping with a cancer diagnosis

Genetic counseling to help patients and families determine their risks for developing hereditary cancers such as breast cancer

Massage therapy to aid in relieving symptoms and side effects such as fatigue, nausea and pain

Nutrition care to help patients make sure they are receiving proper energy and nutrients

Swedish and the Community

As a nonprofit medical center, Swedish prides itself on giving back to the community whenever possible. In addition to cancer care and general hospital care, Swedish Medical Center has founded a number of programs aimed to enhance the greater Seattle area. It provides a host of community outreach programs. Charity Care, one of the center’s main outreach programs, offers free or discounted hospital services to underprivileged individuals. A similar program designed specifically for low-income seniors provides free vaccinations, blood pressure screenings and other basic medical services.

Swedish has other programs designed for struggling families. Swedish Pregnant Women Servicesworks with pregnant women who have drug or alcohol addictions to reduce the risk for complications in the baby. There is also a family violence program, for which staff members are trained to identify the signs of domestic violence and address the situation accordingly. And another program trains students with disabilities to help them develop practical jobs skills.